Chromeo Fancy Footwork

Chromeo's Dave One and P-Thugg ardently reject being labeled an ironic band, but as with 2004's She's in Control, it's hard not to notice a knowing wink spread throughout Fancy Footwork's 11 tracks of sex-fueled funk boogie. But why is that such a bad thing? The album's squiggly analog synth breaks, call-and-response vocoder hooks, and b-boy electro consistently sounds more fun than funny, more danceable than laughable. Footwork may wear its adoration for New Edition's adolescent, skirt-chasing romanticism on its sleeve, but it's also a fantastic pop album on its own terms.